What’s in a Name?

Karen — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 16:34:28 +0000

Faithless by Karin Slaughter

If Karin Slaughter had been born into a family with a different name, do you think she’d still be writing suspense novels? Just wondering … I mean, would you pick up a cookbook by someone with that last name? I bet it would give you pause …The book titled Faithless is one of hers I read when I picked it up at the BEA in 2005. I recently found it again in a box, and it was a good book. It was a mystery that wasn’t entirely predictable, which is always a good thing. The main characters are a small-town Georgia pediatrician/coroner, her family, her policeman ex-and-future husband (they’re divorced but reconciling) and his detective subordinate, Lena. Nearly everyone in the story has a complicated back-story, and that includes the murder victim at the heart of the story. She was a member of a very religious family that runs a communal farm in the adjacent county, which also brings in employees from among the homeless in Atlanta, with varying successes.This is not a story for the innocent or naive, it includes characters dealing with abortion, brutally abusive relationships, graphic violence, infidelity, and religious issues, good and bad, among other less prickly matters. But you do get a feel for the people involved, and few of them completely fit the stereotype to which they are initially assigned.

I found it a quick read, but a good, absorbing one, and because I also run a pet website Pet of the Day.com I have to say the pediatricians two rescue greyhounds do also figure into the story, but more of in a comic-relief sort of role. The book is not all dark and serious, it does have some light-hearted moments, and all in all is a good, satisfying read. I recommend it to anyone who likes a good mystery, but isn’t too squeamish about just about anything.

Mystery and Romance

Karen — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 14:50:41 +0000

Hot Blooded by Lisa Jackson

You know an author has made it, when before you even see the “New York Times Bestselling Author” on the cover, you notice her name is set in a (much) bigger typeface than the actual title of the book. So it is with Lisa Jackson. She’s a mystery writer, and I have read, and enjoyed, her work before.

This is a mystery in the classic sense. Strong woman main character, but with a “past,” male villian who is completely evil, and other targets to lead up to the inevitable confrontation. As is often the case in such novels, the other murders before the main character is threatened are prostitutes, and the main character, Dr. Sam, A.k.a. Samantha, is not only wealthy but beautiful, and a celebrity – a radio talk show host and psychologist. And single, of course, so there is the requisite tension between the love interest, the villian and the reader getting to figure out which is which, and how they all fit into the equation.

All in all, a quick read. Fun if you like murder-mystery books, and it will keep you guessing. It is also set in Lousiana, so there is plenty of “local color,” and we all, because of Hurricane Katrina, even have heard of Lake Ponchetrain, not just New Orleans. Plenty of R-rated stuff, so not for the kiddies, and Jackson does sustain the tension until the very last chapter, and the reveal.

If you like mysteries, you’ll like this!

Karen's Blog » Suspense

What’s in a Name?

Mystery and Romance